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RB Kenneth Dixon, Free Agent (1 Viewer)

NFL Draft Scout's Frank Cooney voiced concern over Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon's stature and workload.
 
"Dixon is a scoring machine as both a runner and receiver (88 catches for 972 yards and 15 TDs over his career)," Cooney wrote, "and scouts certainly love that. Dixon's number of carries and relatively slim lower body, however, are indicators that he may never match his college production in the NFL." He measures out at 5-foot-10, 215 pounds. The analyst went so far as to question even Dixon's production with the Bulldogs, writing that "[t]he uptempo offense in which he starred was designed to get him the ball in space, creating relatively easy opportunities for big plays against questionable competition." While Cooney spouts a pretty pessimistic line here, not every outlet shares his dour outlook when it comes to Dixon. Pro Football Focus has referred to him as a potential "instant weapon at the NFL level" due to his catching ability and eel-like ability to elude would-be tacklers. Apr 9 - 7:40 PM

Source: CBS Sports


Pro Football Focus says Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon's "reliability as a pass blocker and ability to turn short gains into chunk plays" will make him "an instant weapon at the NFL level."
 
The gist of PFF's argument that Dixon is underrated has to do with the prospect's profile fitting today's NFL. Dixon is not an NFL feature back, but those are no en vogue. Instead, he excels in things like elusiveness (second in the country in overall elusive rating), breaking tackles (No. 1 in broken tackles after a reception for a RB) and working out of the slot (caught 12 of 15 targets for 185 yards and two touchdowns last year in the slot). Dixon may turn out to be better than his forebears Theo Riddick, Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen. Apr 4 - 6:32 PM

Source: Pro Football Focus


 
 

 
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Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon gained seven pounds ahead of his Pro Day workout.
He weighed in 222-pounds at the school's Pro Day, and 215-pounds at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. We love Dixon's NFL projection, and believe he as starting, three-down tools for the next level. He can create yards on his own after contact or versus the first defender, and also has receiving skills and showed those in the bowl game versus Arkansas State. Josh Norris ranks Dixon as the No. 27 overall prospect in this draft.

 
Source: Aaron 
Mar 22 - 11:50 AM


 

NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks compares Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon to Dion Lewis.
This is the second time in the past 10 days that we've read this specific comp, with Pro Football Focus doing it first earlier this month. This is how Brooks explained the Dixon-to-Lewis connection: "Versatile running back with quick feet and exceptional body control. Although he shined as an inside runner on draws and delays in the Bulldogs' spread offense, he is at his best when used as a dynamic pass catcher out of the backfield. Dixon runs routes like a receiver in space, exhibiting outstanding patience and body control while setting up defenders on option routes." The Panthers, Packers and Redskins may be attracted to a back like Dixon, Brooks thinks. The analyst perceives more limitations in Dixon's game than we do. "Dixon lacks the size, strength and hard-hitting running style to be a full-time RB1," he wrote. "He doesn't run with the force or pad level to break tackles in the hole. Dixon also lacks the physicality and toughness to hold up in pass protec

 
 
Source: NFL.com 
Feb 26 - 1:57 PM


 

TFY Draft Insider's Tony Pauline reports that Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon has consistently been timed in the high 4.4s in training.
Those reported numbers have been posted at the Michael Johnson facility in Texas. Pauline reports further that despite weighing a healthy 214 pounds and squatting a mean 600 pounds, Dixon's body fat is under 5 percent. Pro Football Focus compares Dixon to Dion Lewis and calls him a "change-of-pace back who can contribute in the passing game." We think he's a bit better than that. Rotoworld's Josh Norris ranks Dixon as the No. 30 prospect in the class.

 
Source: Walter Football 
Feb 24 - 6:07 PM


 

Pro Football Focus compares Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon to Dion Lewis and calls him a "change-of-pace back who can contribute in the passing game."
The analysis squad graded Dixon No. 6 last season among draft-eligible RBs, including a No. 2 receiving grade in the draft class. His elusive rating of 99.2 ranked No. 2 in the draft class. PFF likes his work in space, his "similar hop step to Le’Veon Bell when reading blocks", his speed and vision, his cutback ability and his receiving chops (Dixon, it must be noted, caught 12-of-15 targets for 185 yards and two touchdowns when lined up in the slot). On the downside, PFF says he's "almost too patient at times", not great at gaining yards after contact and fumbles too often. "Dixon may not be an every-down back, but he can bring big-play potential as both a runner and as a receiver," PFF concluded. "He’s electric in the open field and can make plays when lined up as a receiver." Rotoworld's Josh Norris ranks Dixon as the No. 30 prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft.

 
 
Source: Pro Football Focus 
Feb 17 - 6:13 PM


 

NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks wrote that Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon's week of Senior Bowl practice "has convinced some scouts that he could thrive as a feature back at the next level."
Brooks believes that Dixon has "flown under the radar despite impressive production." Said production included 1,072 rushing yards (5.4 YPC) and 19 touchdowns as well as 33 catches for 464 yards and an additional seven scores this past season. The 5-foot-10, 212-pounder's versatility is a huge plus that could allow him to contribute at the next level immediately even if he's not initially given a full starter's workload.

 
 
Source: NFL.com 
Jan 30 - 3:44 PM


 

Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon has stood out as a pass-catcher at the Senior Bowl, according to Pro Football Focus.
"Dixon’s explosiveness, both as a receiver and as a runner, was on display all season long," PFF wrote. The site noted that Dixon has been "getting open in one-on-one and team drills" and his "route-running appears to be very advanced for a running back." Per the site's metrics, Dixon was actually No. 5 last year among draft-eligible running backs in breakaway percentage (49 percent of his yards came off breakaway runs), No. 1 in yards per pass route run, and No. 1 in elusive rating (a measurement of how difficult a runner is to tackle). "Even more encouraging for NFL teams thinking of him as a running back with third-down capabilities: He had just two drops in 2015, and allowed just five pressures on 142 pass-blocking snaps — the 13th-best rate in the nation," PFF wrote. Rotoworld's Josh Norris says Dixon is the only starting NFL RB at the Senior Bowl this week.

 
 
Source: Pro Football Focus 
Jan 29 - 10:09 AM


 

CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler wrote that Louisiana Tech senior RB Kenneth Dixon is "an extremely productive runner who understands the subtleties of the position."
"Extremely productive" is not hyperbole in this case. With four total touchdowns scored against Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl on Saturday, Dixon sits at 87 for his career. Ahead of him on the NCAA career leader-board, nobody. Granted, Navy senior QB Keenan Reynolds could regain the touchdown lead with three scores in his own bowl, but still. Brugler called the 5-foot-10, 212-pound Dixon "a reliable decision-maker with vision, balance and decisive movements," then went on to praise his blocking and receiving ability (he had 112 yards receiving on Saturday, looking more/less like a wide receiver at times). He figures to be among the first senior running backs drafted in the spring.

 
 
Source: CBS Sports 
Sun, Dec 20, 2015 07:29:00 PM




NFL scout who spoke with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said that Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon is "a solid, solid back."
Another scout told the Journal Sentinel, "Good football player. I don't think he's explosive. His speed wasn't that good. But he can run, catch and block. Really good catcher. He's not special." If you got whiplash from the way that evaluation weaves in all directions -- "good football player" and "he can run catch and block" would seem to be at odds with "not special" -- we're right there with you. Dixon has taken visits to the Texans, Patriots and 49ers. We like him as a potential early Day 2 selection.
 
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 
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Ravens selected Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon with the No. 134 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
Dixon (5'10/215) rewrote the La Tech record books, parlaying 801 career carries into 4,480 yards (5.59 YPC) and 72 touchdowns. He caught 88 passes and accounted for 87 all-purpose TDs, second all time in FBS history. Despite running behind an awful offensive line, Dixon was a dominant collegiate whose tape shows nifty jump cuts, natural inside running skills, and top-notching passing-game production, even excelling in blitz pickup. Dixon shined in Indy, blazing 4.56 with explosive vertical (37 1/2") and broad (10'1") jumps. A dynamic multi-phase threat, Dixon has a chance to become a mid-range NFL starter. Despite a surprising slide in the fourth round, expect Dixon to immediately push Buck Allen and Justin Forsett for snaps in Baltimore.

 
 
 
Apr 30 - 1:53 PM

 
Liked Dixon going into the draft, not so much coming out of it, don't like Baltimore as a landing spot. Got a vet in front of him and a capable young guy competing against him.

 
Liked Dixon going into the draft, not so much coming out of it, don't like Baltimore as a landing spot. Got a vet in front of him and a capable young guy competing against him.
Being slotted behind a RB1 that turns 31 in October is not a deal breaker.

 
I actually like the landing spot for Dixon as I think he's more talented than everyone save Forsett.  But Forsett is old and had 1 good year.  He may be a 1 or 2 year hold, but that's fine if you have a taxi squad type of league.

 
Took him 1.06 in my dynasty rookie draft. I like his long term chances even if the immediate may be muddled right now.

 
Run It Up said:
 I dont think he is ahead of Allen yet.
Give him a chance...

I like the landing sport long term, surprised a bit he fell as far as he did in the draft.  Do we take that as a sign the NFL scouts didn't like something, like ball security?

 
He will get playing time this year. How much may depend on how well Forsett does, but Dixon could prove to them he is better and earn more playing time. Allen will get pt too. Have read he has had ball security issues and I looked up his fumble history. He had 4, 5 and 4 in 11, 14 and 10 games the past 3 seasons. Not great. He will have to keep hold of the ball better in the NFL to be more than a backup.

 
Run It Up said:
 I dont think he is ahead of Allen yet.
still, he has an old incumbent and Allen who only became the starter as last resort, and he is in a good organization.  I think the landing spot definitely has promise.

 
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I think he is solid, but not special. If he can seize the opportunity, I think he can be useful. He's a capable player with no major weaknesses. On the other hand, he's not very special in any way. I imagine that his job security will probably be pretty low. Every incoming draft class will represent a major threat to him.

Ideally you would not have to spend a first round rookie pick to get a guy like this. With the crop looking weak this year, I think he will continue to go 6-12 in most leagues though. I can only see myself taking him at the top of that range in mandatory 2RB leagues where I have huge positional need. I like him more than Booker/Howard/Perkins.

 
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Allen is a good RB. He had some silly meta statistics in college and flew a little under the radar. David Johnson, Langford and Buck Allen are all better than they were touted coming out of college.

Allen is less dynamic so in that respect I would give the edge to Dixon, but what Allen does he does very well. I could see Allen being the two this year and being the one next year with Dixon being relegated to passing downs. Could also see Dixon just beating out Allen which puts the Ravens in a weird spot, Dixon and Allen are both capable of being three down backs, might end up with a true committee.

 
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Eh people were saying the same thing about DJ and leveon.  Jack of all trades, master of none.  Scene 2 leveon added a deadly dead leg move and dj started playing behind his pads.  Waiting around for the perfect prospect is a fool's errand as they only come along every 5 years or so. The rest of us have to figure out which of these guys are gonna make that jump.  Josh Norris seemed to think Dixon had enough juice in his legs to be a first day pick.  That's enough for me since we already know he can catch the ball and the college production was  there.

 
Comparing him to last years class, its hard to put him ahead of anyone taken in front of Allen. I didn't think he would slide past the 3rd just because of how weak this RB class was, but he did.

 
Eh people were saying the same thing about DJ and leveon.  Jack of all trades, master of none.
He was picked a lot lower than those guys in a weaker draft class.

Bell - 48th pick (2013)

Johnson - 86th pick (2015)

Dixon - 134th pick (2016)

In general, the lower you get in the draft, the lower the talent level and success rate. I think Dixon is a decent player and definitely capable of producing useful FF stats if he gets into a situation where he's getting the ball 15+ times per game, but what you're really drafting is the situation because this is not a rare talent we're talking about here. Four year college player who still fell all the way to the compensatory picks in the 4th round. There are 5-10 guys this good in every draft class, so the odds of him having meaningful long term success seem pretty grim. He is basically Cameron Artis-Payne with a slightly higher draft slot and a better immediate opportunity. Is that worth a first round rookie pick? You could get a Zac Stacy-like rookie season if it breaks right, but I think he's a mediocrity for the long haul just like Stacy.

 
 I think Dixon is a quality RB prospect. I have him as a tier 2 player which means I think he has the upside to perform at that level if given the opportunity but I consider it unlikely he will be a top 12 RB within the next 3 years.

He has some exceptional quickness and burst at times when he can get to the outside he has enough speed to finish. He is very good at catching the ball showing some receiver like skills with body positioning and great hands.

He does not run between the tackles that well, even though he has the quickness and cuts to be able to excel I see a lot of dead plays where if he had more power and better vision, perhaps he could have gotten to the outside or pushed the pile a bit, but he doesn't do that. He can make a defender miss in space, but he goes down from first contact frequently.

I do not see him transitioning to an inside to outside RB in the NFL unless he can really improve his vision and footwork as well as his pad level and power. I think it is more likely he is used in a specialized 3rd down role while being complemented by a RB who is more of a banger.

It is somewhat difficult to judge his college performance as many of this opponents are not very good teams.His college production is decent but not great when one considers the competition. If you look at the game logs you see he struggled when playing against better college teams such as Oaklahoma, Auburn, Southern Mississippi. That is not to say he doesn't have some really great games as well. But I wonder how effective he will be when playing against defenses better than these.

Draftbreakdown games.

I would suggest watching the Oklahoma game, which will give an idea of what I am talking about with him not running between the tackles well. This is evident in the game against Arkansas in the first half also. He is able to generate some good runs later in the game after they built a lead and opened the defense up with some effective passing and constraint plays.

I just don't see him finishing with power much. For an objective point of view here is some data from ZWK's thread regarding traffic capped yards after contact and other interesting things.

I do have Dixon as the 9th best rookie player for FF in 2016. I just don't see it being easy for him to earn the volume to be more than a RB two in FF because of his limited power and decisiveness in traffic.

He does an alright job in pass protection although there were a few bad failures in this area as well. I thought he was better in pass protection than most of the other 2016 RB.

 
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When do you draft a qb in a redraft league?   I'll tell you when I do.   For the top guys I'll take them when I think they're the best value on the board.   I might even let one slide a little longer because I am hoping i can get them even later and if not, i still expect i can get a good value in the later rounds.  In the later rounds, I usually have several guys ranked almost identically.  So my goal is to get one of the good ones,  but not to overpay.   I'm almost never the first guy to take a qb in that tier, but if I do it's going to be my favorite, and usually by a decent margin. 

Who were the top rbs?  I think it went 1. Elliot 2. Henry 3. A lot of guys,  including Dixon,  booker,  prosise, drake,  Perkins, Howard - a lot like redraft qbs, there's a bunch of similarly ranked guys who had different strengths and weaknesses.   

I think what happened is that after the top couple went, teams day back and waited until the run began.   A couple teams reached on prosise and drake, but then Dixon went.  Two picks later,  booker. 7 picks later,  Washington.  6 picks later,  Perkins and Howard go back to back.  3 picks later Smallwood. 3 picks later Williams.   7 running backs in 23 picks, including two who were consensus top five among draftniks.

It's definitely possible that they were worse than anyone realized before the draft and teams just waited because the guys all sucked.  But it's also possible that teams waited because there were several similarly ranked players and there was no need to make sure you got the first one of a tier when it meant passing on a more difficult to fill position like defensive line.  

Comparing pick number to pick number really doesn't do much for me.   

 
 

Ravens fourth-round RB Kenneth Dixon rushed nine times for 44 yards in Thursday's preseason opener.
With Justin Forsett getting a veteran's night, Dixon rotated with Terrence West and Buck Allen. West got the goal-line carries, but Dixon was the only one of the three to average over four yards per carry (4.8). He also had the evening's longest run, ripping off a 19-yarder. Dixon wasn't targeted in the passing game, but flashed a three-down skill-set at Louisiana Tech. Dixon should immediately push Allen in the passing game.

 
 
 
Aug 11 - 10:40 PM

 
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Saturday night he believes Kenneth Dixon's knee injury is "not overly serious."
The Ravens are sending Dixon for a Sunday MRI to be sure. Before going down, Dixon looked terrific with 41 yards on six carries, and afterward a Ravens beat writer said Dixon has looked like one of Baltimore's top runners in camp. Dixon appeared to have received a depth chart promotion, running with the first-team offense. He should be considered questionable for Week 1.

 
 
Source: ESPN.com 
Aug 27 - 10:38 PM

 
Before hurting his knee, I think dixon was emerging as the rb of the future, and the talk about west doing well was more of an indictment of the other backs than how much he really stood out.  

Before the game

http://m.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Joe-Flacco-Gives-Rave-Review-Of-Rookie-RB-Kenneth-Dixon/4da970de-158b-48ad-aee2-94e452f76c24

During the game (Video clips of two good runs)

https://mobile.twitter.com/WolaWriteMore/status/769686389424259073/video/1

https://vine.co/v/5e5g6DuK5Mw

He looked really, reaaly good.  He played in the first drive, albeit with forsett getting the night off, and while west got an early goal line opportunity, dixon got the next one, and unfortunately that's where he got hurt.

MRI scheduled for later today on what they are callimg a knee sprain. Harbaugh sounds optimistic, but if you're a head coach, there's no downside to sounding optimistic - either he's ok and you were right or he's hurt and you are disappointed.  Much better than acting gloomy and doomy.  Note that dixon already sprained his mcl earlier this preseason, and missed around a week at the start of camp.  

 
I thought he looked great. Hope the injury isn't serious.

Still lots of competition. I wouldn't read into the positive comments about West to mean they don't like what their other RB are doing Fred. I think you are reading into that what you want rather than what it is with that. West has looked good too.The only RB that wasn't doing well was Richardson.

Psst! Don't forget about Justin Forsett in Ravens' running back battle

"I see the same running back that we had two years ago, in terms of his speed, his explosiveness, his vision," Harbaugh said. "He really looks good. I know there’s a lot of talk about the other guys, but he’s playing really well."

 
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I wouldn't read into the positive comments about West to mean they don't like what their other RB are doing Fred. I think you are reading into that what you want rather than what it is with that. 
Maybe.  But the talk about west coincided with four backs trying to win the job and only one averaging over 4 ypc this preseason.  Dixon, who moved up to the top of the rotation for the first time in the third preseason game after playing well in both the first two.  Remember also that dixon missed the start of trainimg camp, so he not only had to play rookie catch up, he was legitimately behind.  So coach speak aside, this is exactly the progression i would expect for a rookie taking the starting job - do well in games 1 and 2, earn a chance to play on the first drive week 3, get several inside carries and run really well, and even get a goal line carry.  

But you're right in that I think kenneth dixon is (was?) a budding stud rb.  Watching him move that pile last night it, you would think he was the big back, not the receiving back some people thought he was.  If he can be a good inside runner with his already strong receiving skills, he can be a feature back in a very rb friendly offense.

Of course all this may be moot pending the mri results today.  

 
I agree Dixon looked excellent Fred. I saw more power from him in the recent game than I saw from watching the college cuts ups. I was impressed. I also agree that it is about as good a sign as you could hope for him getting some time with the first team and doing well.

I just don't think we should tear down the other RB who are also doing things well. It will mean more if Dixon beats out some good RB than it will if he just wins by default.

I hope the injury is not serious as I would like to see some more.

 
I agree Dixon looked excellent Fred. I saw more power from him in the recent game than I saw from watching the college cuts ups. I was impressed. I also agree that it is about as good a sign as you could hope for him getting some time with the first team and doing well.

I just don't think we should tear down the other RB who are also doing things well. It will mean more if Dixon beats out some good RB than it will if he just wins by default.

I hope the injury is not serious as I would like to see some more.
In dynasty, I'm hoping this lowers his value and he can be had for cheap. 

 
In dynasty, I'm hoping this lowers his value and he can be had for cheap. 
Probably depends on the owner,  but I traded back specifically to get Dixon everywhere I got him. I wouldn't be selling low after how good he looked before going down. 

 
Ravens' rookie RB Kenneth Dixon is expected to miss four weeks with an MCL tear that will not require surgery, per source.

[SIZE=19.2857px]Per shefter [/SIZE]

 
Would you hold in redraft? Doubt I ever use him, he's my RB6. Ingram/Freeman + Duke in the flex, Henry & Washington on the bench,

I drafted from an iPhone while on a road trip yesterday morning. I actually snoozed on the injury, had been up in the mountains all weekend. Ware went undrafted, Hightower is another lottery ticket out there waiting to be picked up. 

 
Would you hold in redraft? Doubt I ever use him, he's my RB6. Ingram/Freeman + Duke in the flex, Henry & Washington on the bench,

I drafted from an iPhone while on a road trip yesterday morning. I actually snoozed on the injury, had been up in the mountains all weekend. Ware went undrafted, Hightower is another lottery ticket out there waiting to be picked up. 
He's my 5th in a ppr redraft. I'm gonna hold to see how Justin Forsett looks in real time. So holding until at least after week 1 vs Bills and maybe 2 vs Browns.

 

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